


Brother Knows Best

by SugdenLovesDingle



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, Rob & Liv bonding, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 16:35:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9244784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: Liv comes to Robert for advice





	

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by that "can I get you a coffee or something?" scene between Liv and Gabby from the other day and Aaron's "it's back on." and the fact that Robert loves a good gossip.

Robert looked up from his computer when he heard the pub’s backdoor closing, loudly.

“Shouldn’t you be at school?” He asked when Liv walked in and dumped her bag on the table.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” She replied.

“I’m working from home. What’s your excuse?”

“Teacher is sick. Class got cancelled.” Liv told him, opening the fridge looking for a snack.

“Really? Mind if I call the school to check?”

Liv shrugged.

“Go ahead. It’s the truth.”

Robert looked at her for a second before deciding she was indeed telling the truth.

“That’s alright. I believe you. Do you have homework?”

Liv rolled her eyes.

“I got home 2 minutes ago!”

“So? If you get it done now you won’t have to do it tonight when you want to watch TV with us.”

“Like I want to watch TV with the two of you. You’ll only be disgusting and snogging each other’s faces off while I’m trying to watch something.” She replied, taking a seat at the table and opening a packet of crisps. “Where’s Aaron anyway? Usually the two of you skive off together.”

“Work. At the yard. With Adam. Want to call him and check?”

Liv narrowed her eyes and grinned.

“Adam kicked you out of the portacabin didn’t he? ‘Cos you and Aaron were only making eyes at each other instead of working.”

“No...” Robert replied and Liv laughed knowing she was right.

“He didn’t kick me out. I left for a meeting. And then came home to work instead of driving back up to the yard.”

“Uhuh.”

“Just do your homework and stop bugging me. Captain America is on tonight and I know you want to watch it too.”

“Don’t have homework. Only a project for history that’s not due for another two weeks.”

“Do that then.”

“Can’t. I’m supposed to work on it with Gabby.”

“Yeah where is your other half? You two are usually joined at the hip. Have you fallen out again?”

“No!” Liv said defensive. “We don’t always have to hang out you know. I have a life of my own.”

“Alright, alright. Forget I said anything.”

“We’re not like you and Aaron. Always together. Not everyone is like that.”

“I know. Never said you were.”

Liv rolled her eyes and pulled her phone out of her pocket and Robert turned his attention back to his work.

“Rob?” Liv asked a while later, sounding very different from the snarky teenager Robert had come to love.

“Hmm?”

“I uh... How uh... I mean... uh...” Liv started and Robert closed his computer, sensing whatever the girl was trying to say required his full attention.

“What’s up?” He asked.

“Nothing! I mean... there’s something... I guess... I uh… I was just wondering..”

“Wondering what?”

“Promise me you won’t tell Aaron.”

“Liv what’s going on? Are you in trouble?”

“No! Nothing like that. Everything is fine... I just... I uh... was wondering... when uh... you knew... that you liked blokes... as well as girls I mean.”

Robert raised his eyebrows.

“You want to know when I knew I was bi?”

Liv nodded.

“Do you… like someone?”

“Maybe... I don’t know.”

“A girl? But you like boys too?” Robert guessed and Liv shrugged.

“I don’t know... How do you know? How did _you_ know?”

“I’m not sure I’m the right person to talk to about this... I made a right mess of things.” Robert admitted

“Yeah but you have Aaron now... and you’re getting married soon. You must’ve done something right.”

“Eventually. Thanks to your brother really. He made me want to be a better person.” Robert said and got up from the table. “Brew?” He asked as he flicked the kettle on.

“So is Aaron the first bloke you’ve gone out with?” Liv asked.

“Aaron’s the first I’ve been in a proper relationship with... but not the first I fell for...” Robert told her, getting a little lost in memories as he made their tea. “But wouldn’t you rather talk to someone else about this? Your mum or Chas... or maybe Aaron… or even Gabby.”

“No!” Came the reply. “I can’t talk to them about it. Especially not Gabby.”

“Why not? She’s your best friend isn’t she?”

“I just can’t, ok, I can’t.” Liv said and Robert had a feeling he’d just discovered part of the reason they were having this conversation. “Tell me about the first guy you fell for then.” Liv continued. “How did you know you liked him? As more than just a mate.”

Robert took a deep breath and sat back down at the table, wrapping his hands around his mug of tea after handing Liv hers.

“There was a lad... who worked at my family’s farm when I was about your age. I liked him. A lot. And he liked me too and one day we kissed and I was so happy. That the boy I liked was kissing me.” Robert said and smiled, reliving that kiss.

“So was that when you knew?”

“Kind of. My dad caught us kissing and fired him... and it took me years after that to admit to myself that I liked guys too… and even longer to actually accept that part of myself.”

“Yeah? How long?”

“One of the first times I actually said it out loud was right before the crash.”

“What? The crash you and Aaron were in last October?” Liv asked and Robert nodded.

“Now you see why I think I’m not the right person to talk to?”

“You figured it out eventually though. So how did you know you were bi and not just gay?”

Robert sighed.

“I just always found women attractive too. It confused me at first, I didn’t really know anything about bisexuality, I didn’t know there were more people like me and that it was ok to feel the way I felt.”

“How did you find out?”

“I met a lot of people while I was away from this place.” Robert said, not really wanting to get into it. “Look there isn’t really one defining moment when you know. I mean… it’s not the same for everyone. If you ask Aaron, he’ll have a different story. Same thing goes for Finn. The only person that can figure things out for you, is you.”

Liv nodded.

“And there is no deadline or anything. It’s not like you have to choose something by a certain time and stick to that for the rest of your life.”

“I know.” Liv said and nodded again.

“So this... girl you like then… anyone I know?”

“Maybe.”  


***

“Liv came to me this afternoon. For advice.” Robert said, later that day as he got into bed next to Aaron.

“Advice? On what?”

“She wanted to know how I knew I was bi.”

“She what? What did you tell her?”

“That I’m probably the worst person to talk to about these things.” Robert replied with a chuckle. “But she said that since I’m marrying you I must’ve done something right.”

Aaron grinned.

“I think there’s a girl she fancies.” Robert continued.

“Yeah? Who?”

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me.”

“Probably ‘cos she knows you’re the biggest gossip in the village.” Aaron teased.

Robert laughed and snuggled up to him.

“Shut it Dingle.”

“You know you’re going to have to find something else to call me. You’ll be a Dingle too soon.”

“I know. I can’t wait.” Robert said and kissed Aaron’s t-shirt clad chest.

***

“That went pretty well didn’t it?” Robert said, resisting the urge to swing his and Aaron’s joined hands between them as they walked back to the pub from the Mill, after meeting with a consultant from a construction firm.

“Did you not hear what he said? It’s going to cost a fortune to do the place up.”

“I heard. But I think there is a lot we can do ourselves. Maybe get some people to help. Vic and Adam will help. Maybe Cain knows someone who can get us a good deal on supplies.”

Aaron frowned.

“Cain owns a garage. How would that help us with the house?”

“I don’t know. But he’s Cain Dingle. Even Satan himself is scared of him, I’m sure he could sort something out.” Robert said, only half joking.

Aaron laughed and walked into the pub.

“You have to go back to work?”

“No, I told Nicola I was taking the rest of the day off to spend some quality time with my fiancé.”

“We live together you muppet. You see me every day.”

“But we don’t get to spend a lazy afternoon in bed every day.”

“Who said anything about bed? You have a one track mind.”

“Can’t help it. You have that effect on me.” Robert said and pulled Aaron close and kissed him. “And you love it.”

“You two are in a good mood.” Chas noted as she watched them walk up to the bar. “I take it the meeting with the consultant went well then?”

“It was alright.” Aaron told her. “We knew there is a lot of work to be done before we can move in... and if we let this guy handle it, it’s going to cost us.”

“Yeah? How much?” Chas said, putting two pints on the bar.

“He’ll draw up an estimate and let us know.”

“But I reckon we can figure something out. Do a lot of the work ourselves and call in a few favours here and there… we’ll be living there by this summer.” Robert said and took a sip of his beer.

“Well if there’s anything I can help with, let me know.” Chas offered.

“Will do.” Aaron promised.

Robert checked his phone and frowned.

“My battery is dead. I’ll be right back.” He said before disappearing behind the bar. He planned to quickly run upstairs to his and Aaron’s bedroom and plug his phone into the charger and come back down but stopped when he heard voices coming from the backroom.

“No that’s not what I meant. I _like,_ like you.” Robert heard Liv say.

“You do?” The other person in the room replied. Robert recognised the voice but couldn’t put his finger on who it belonged to. He decided to risk carefully peeking through a crack in the door.

“Yeah... for a while now.” Liv admitted and Robert saw the person she was talking to was Gabby, who looked slightly shocked but thankfully not angry or upset.

“Yeah? How long?”

“I don’t really know. I thought I just liked you as a mate... but... well... I think it’s more than that.”

“So you’re gay?” Gabby asked.

“I don’t think so... more like bi… I think.” Liv told her and bit her lip.

“Oh. Ok.” Gabby replied and both girls just stared at each other for a minute before becoming shy and looking away, smiling.

“So have you ever kissed a girl before?” Liv asked when she’d gathered enough confidence to look at Gabby again.

“No.” Gabby told her. “Have you?”

Liv shook her head.

“I’ve never really kissed anyone before.”  

Robert saw the two girls giving each other shy smiles before leaning in and sharing a short chaste kiss. He wanted to cheer and congratulate them but instead told himself to go upstairs to find his charger.

“Was that alright?” He heard Gabby ask as he slowly started to close the door.

“Yeah… I’d like to do it again.” Liv replied.

Gabby giggled.

“Me too.”

Robert smiled to himself as he walked up the stairs, feeling happy for Liv that her first crush liked her back. Though he was sure Aaron would be less than pleased about the amount of vegan meals he’d be cooking from now on.


End file.
